Comings and Goings
by Reiana
Summary: They were a part of life, he mused, a part that no one could do without.
1. Lookout Cabin

**A/N** You know those random ideas that hit you and just won't go away? This is one of those. I was playing through Dark Dawn when this just popped into my head. So I used my ZOMG SHINY NEW LAPTOP to type it up. Yeah.

This is basically a look into Matthew's thoughts on the different places he travels to and the things he learns there. Some of it might seem a bit OOC to you, but I have a nasty habit of subscribing to an alternative character interpretation-especially when it comes to Golden Sun.

I should warn you now, there will be some major angst in later chapters, along with personal fanon dispersed throughout the whole thing. Also some ideas have ended up being very repetitive.

...The note's about as long as the chapter. Oops. **End A/N**

_Prologue: Lookout Cabin_

He loved his peaceful little cabin.

He loved the way the sun shone on the little garden outside and how the plants sang with joy under the light. He loved the sound of the rain pliping against the thatched roof and how the moonlight would coat the rooms in silver. He loved how the birds would swoop down with their songs and the small creatures of the plateau would hide behind barrels of supplies when he passed.

He loved his peaceful little home, even if it was only him and his father and Tyrell and Uncle Garet.

Matthew felt he could live his whole life in that little lookout cabin, and he would be content. He knew the possibility was unlikely, but that didn't stop him from hoping.


	2. The LeaveTaking

**A/N** Two in one day. Actually, most of them are already written...but whatever. This is just because I feel bad posting only the dinky little prologue. **End A/N**

_The Leave-Taking_

How quickly things can happen, Matthew mused. How fast things can change. Just this morning he was on a simple shopping trip with his father, trying to get the things they would need for the next month. Now he was leaving, with no idea when he would be coming back.

He supposed he should be angry with Tyrell for forcing this upon him. It wasn't his carelessness that had broken the soarwing, so why should he go out and fix it? But he couldn't find the anger in him.

Adventure was something he'd grown up hearing about. His mother enjoyed telling him about her travels, when she could, and Uncle Garet always had a funny tale or two. Sometimes his father would pitch in and tell of something truly spectacular, like the lighthouses. Sometimes one of the others would come, like Uncle Piers, and he would hear a tale that no one else had, ever. He'd practically lived off of stories of adventure for sixteen years.

Now it was time for his own adventure, and he wasn't sure he wanted to go.

In fact, he wished he were anywhere but on this so-called adventure. He wanted to be helping Uncle Garet cook dinner, or taking a hoe to the ground outside, where they would soon be planting the small assortment of vegetables they had.

He couldn't resist smirking rather cynically. He was homesick and he wasn't even at the bottom of the plateau. He wondered vaguely if his father had felt the same way.

His father…His father hadn't come down to see him off. Instead he'd stood on the far fencepost, staring off into the distance—the same thing he did whenever something was troubling him. It worried Matthew more then he'd like to admit, that his father had not even turned around or raised a hand in farewell.

And then a little djinni appeared before him.

He recognized that djinni—Flint was always about, trying to help in his own way. Flint was a steadfast supporter of whatever Isaac did—Matthew could have sworn that the djinni had forgotten how to live without the man.

As he listened quietly to Flint's explanation, he couldn't help but smile. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

_Good-bye, Father. I'll be back before you know it._


	3. Patcher's Place

**A/N** Don't expect any of these to be very long. The longest one is currently just over one page, so yeah.

_Patcher's Place_

It was strange, being at Patcher's Place without his father. He wondered if he's ever get over the feeling.

The place was the same as always, quiet and peaceful, with kindly residents. They were welcomed by everyone. Well, almost. He still found it amusing that Tyrell could be thick-headed enough to get told off for nearly burning the town down and then do the same thing not ten seconds later.

He walked through the town, listening to the commentary of the people, and mused upon the information presented before him. Bilibin did not seem like a place he wished to be, but there was no avoiding it. He remembered his father saying something to the effect that Lord McCoy of Bilibin had declared himself in Isaac's debt—perhaps that was the key to getting through unopposed.

That was assuming, of course, that the good people of Bilibin were not opposed to the idea of Vale's children running through their country. While the people of the Goma Highlands were understanding, the same could not be said for the rest of the world. His father's fame was a double-edged sword, and he would have to endure it. It didn't help that he was apparently the "spitting image" of Isaac at 16.

As Tyrell and Karis admired the scenery they'd seen a couple hundred times already, Matthew mused on an old, childish thought of his. When he was small and his father would place him on his shoulders and carry him here, he'd wondered why they didn't just live in town. As much as he adored his cabin home, surely it would be easier to just live here, were it would take maybe ten minutes to get everything they'd need instead a half-day's trip there and back.

But as he listened to the people of Patcher's Place speak of the Warriors of Vale and how great they were, and as he traversed the training grounds meant to encompass a great voyage into a half-hour run, he could see what a hassle it would have been for his father to deal with. It was bad enough, he thought, getting it on the monthly trips for supplies. But to deal with it every day?

And as Matthew led his friends out of the small hamlet, he felt he understood his father a little more.


	4. Carver's Camp

_Carver's Camp_

He liked Carver, he decided. Though he wouldn't be emulating him anytime soon.

Carver's Camp was a welcome stop after all of that walking. The beds, though not the highest quality, were warm and comfortable, the food was simple yet satisfying, and being surrounded by a healthy forest was doing wonders for his psyche.

He found his way to a rooftop and sat, listening to the wind through the trees. The forest was happy, and it was not shy about telling him so. He almost wished he could stay another day or two.

But this was not the time for vacationing. This was a quest that was supposed to be completed in a timely manner, and they had already encountered one significant delay, and there was no telling how many more they might run into.

He had a feeling that it would be more then he'd like.

And yet, Matthew really didn't consider going to the Konpa Ruins all that bad…he'd always wondered what ancient ruins looked like, though he figured they wouldn't be as glamorous as legends made them sound.

His train of thought was derailed by the whistling of the wind flowers as a gust sent them skyward. He chuckled at the sound of their joy. He always did like listening to flowers—they were so easy to please.

He then heard Karis calling for him, saying something about dinner being ready. He bid the forest farewell and slid down to join his friends.


	5. Harapa

_Harapa_

He'd never been in a city before.

Except he had. When he was little he and his parents had gone to Kalay, which was the biggest town he knew of. He'd heard that Tolbi and Belinsk could rival it, but how would he know that? He'd only been to Kalay, and even then, only when he was about two years old. He really didn't remember much.

So, Harapa was his first true city experience. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

He wondered if all cities had streets that glowed.

While the townspeople were generally polite, most of them seemed to look down upon him and his friends, simply because they weren't city people. Not even Reif, who'd been there before, was spared.

And really, he was already aggravated at being forced to go south—how much longer would this trip take now?—and being called "quaint" in an almost condescending tone was like shouting at a mountaintop not to let loose an avalanche.

But he managed to keep his frustration in check, though the others noticed that his mood was not the brightest it had ever been and so they kept his attention on things like the buildings and the shops—two things that would not mock him, no matter where he came from.

The stone buildings were old, he found, with a strange sort of power flowing through them. The stones were set in their position, and were a tad upset at being renovated and remodeled. Matthew offered them an ear to listen, for Venus adepts were not the most common people to find, and the ones who could listen to earth and stone were rare. So rare, in fact, that he only knew of three people with the ability—himself, his father, and his Uncle Felix. He figured since it came from both sides, he was bound to get it. The power wasn't really bothersome, though as a child he drew stares from everyone who was not part of his extended family by talking about how this shrub or rock or what-have-you felt.

The shops were well-stocked, and so they were able to purchase their needs, some new equipment, and even a couple knick-knacks to commemorate their first visit to the City of Ruins.

The day ended with a rather strange occurrence—Tyrell had discovered a fortune-tellers' tent, and so the four of them found themselves in front of two exotically dressed women and the tools of their trade. It was five coins, so he figured he would give it a try.

The woman with the bowl, the one who supposedly saw the near future, told him something that sounded rather far-fetched. He filed it away for later non-the-less, figuring that his trip could only get crazier, and her advice just might help.

The one with the crystal ball told him a couple things that sounded ominous, screamed, and began cowering from him. Being called a "cursed warrior" was not the best way to end the day.

Lying in his bed in the inn, he wondered how accurate those fortune-tellers were. The one's warning stuck with him, causing an unpleasant sensation in his stomach. Great darkness? End of the world? Was he really going to end up facing something that bad?

Rolling over with a sigh, he decided that such things shouldn't be dwelt on, especially right before going to sleep.


	6. Passaj

_Passaj_

He'd always loved the mountains, even if he wasn't dressed for the cold. It must have been part of the Venus Adept thing.

Passaj was a sad little town, he thought as he traversed up to the peak. It was full of tired-looking people who had seen better days. He wondered for a moment why they even bothered staying when they were fighting a battle on a slippery uphill slope. Then he realized, as one elderly townsperson told him of the myths the area held dear, that this was their home—and nothing short of a total disaster would get them to leave. And even then, some may stay.

He admired their courage, and wondered if he possessed something like it.

Exploring Passaj didn't take long at all, and neither did "fixing" their Alchemy Forge. Fixing it…right. They were missing the key piece, of course. Nothing could ever be simple.

As he listened to the elders recant their tails, he wondered if those ancient peoples of such great power thought of the weaker when they sealed away the greatest known force in the world. It certainly didn't seem like it. He tried to imagine this small, sad town as a home to the great craftsmen that it supposedly housed at one time, and found that he couldn't. There was no spark left in this town—it was like a tree that had been deprived of water—it still stood, but it was liable to fall apart at any time.

Matthew listened to the hopes of the townspeople, voiced by the elders, and silently reflected on them. They all truly believed that he and his friends possessed the power to pull Passaj back from the brink.

He found himself hoping that they were right.


	7. Kaocho

_Kaocho_

The buildings here were rather exotic. That was Matthew's first real reaction to the city that waged war on all of its neighbors.

Kaocho wasn't nearly as big as he thought it would be. He and Tyrell had both imagined a sprawling city to put Harapa to shame, but they were about the same size. The people were cordial enough, for all many of them glorified war.

But not everyone in the town were war-mongers. One family of farmers simply wished to live peacefully and with good harvests. Their only take on the current campaign was that they wished the man of the house hadn't been dragged into it. Frankly, Matthew agreed. The whole city would be going hungry if they kept sending farmers off to get killed as fighters. However, seeing as there was little he could do about it, he might as well leave well enough alone.

Another home had no one but an old couple who were lamenting the choice to leave their original home. The woman asked him to deliver a small package to her granddaughter in far-off Sana. Matthew wasn't quite sure where that was, nor if he was even going to end up there, but her insistence made him oblige her, much to Karis's amusement.

The "king" of the area, Wo, was little more than a power-hungry tub of lard (dubbed as such by Tyrell, even if the man wasn't that fat) who saw people as little more than tools. While it did touch a nerve to be spoken of as property, Matthew didn't have the time to throw a spire in the man's general direction, as his father was rumored to have done when Iodem of Tolbi tried to execute Felix.

Upon landing in the Ouroboros, he realized that he still had that infernal letter. Well, that solved the problem of getting into Ayuthay.

Conversation swelled around him as they left, mostly about how a town that always brought war to others would regret it when war was brought to them. He couldn't help but agree.

**Ending A/N** About the whole Spire thing. See, in my mind, there is one point between TLA and DD where the TLA gang ends up in Tolbi. Iodem wants to have Felix executed for all the stuff Saturos and Menardi pulled, and for supposedly bringing about Babi's death. Isaac, of course, steps in and tries to solve things peacefully. It ends up with Iodem shouting a lot, and Isaac losing his temper and hurling a few Spires around. He doesn't _hit_ anybody, but he comes close enough to, ah...discourage any further negotiations. Needless to say, Felix goes free. Not that he wouldn't've been able to fight his way out or anything.

Maybe I'll turn that bit of fanon into a oneshot someday. ...Sorry 'bout the long A/N D:


	8. Ayuthay

_Ayuthay_

He couldn't quite come to terms with how people lived happily when they had to propel themselves across a giant lake—pond—whatever consistently. He didn't think he'd be able to stand it.

The massive stonework was everything it was promised to be—much to Matthew's surprise. He was used to people over exaggerating things like this. The stone itself was content with the shape it currently held, though apparently the weather was far too dry for it, despite the fact that the whole area in front the temple or whatever it was was flooded. He always knew that stones were not always logical by his standards, but this was out of line even for what he was used to dealing with.

The actual city was amazing in and of itself, though he marveled at the fact that the people could stand not having much sunlight. Looking at the pale skin of the weapons dealer, he couldn't find himself envying them when they finally did go back outside—he'd learned about sunburns the hard way.

He could see why the people of Passaj envied the Ayuthay, yet the king asked them for more aid and such. He found it hard to believe that the city-state needed much more, save maybe for the Kaocho army to pack up and leave, but here it was. Certainly it would benefit more than just their home, but Matthew couldn't help but believe that part of the motivation was entirely selfish.

Yet, as their guide to the city, Amiti, spoke of this statue and that carving and the various bits of history that went with it all, he realized that maybe it wasn't selfish after all. They already had a bit of prosperity, and now they wanted to share it with the others who did not.

He laughed at himself and his cynicism. Silly Matthew, he thought, doubting the desires of someone so honest.

Done scolding himself, he surprised everyone by springing a question upon Amiti, much to his guide's delight. Perhaps there was something to be said about coming out of one's shell after all.

He supposed that if that much was true, he should start taking Karis's advice more seriously.

…Not that he'd ever tell her that.


	9. Kaocho Revisited

**A/N** I keep forgetting that this thing exists...

_Kaocho_

Hearing Amiti's opinions on the city of his enemy was certainly entertaining.

Matthew marveled at the fact that Amiti, though ready and willing to speak ill of "king" Wo and his army, was quite willing to note the things he liked about the place. The dumplings in particular caught his attention, to which both Tyrell and Reif agreed.

He was, however, distracted by a sinking feeling that had settled in his stomach. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt that Kaocho, for all its exotic buildings and tasty dumplings, was about to fall upon bad times. Only, bad didn't quite seem to describe it.

Karis, ever the observant one, was the one to bring attention to his distracted state.

He smiled reassuringly at them and waved it off, scolding himself mentally for losing focus.

And yet, as he led his friends down into the coils of the labyrinth, he couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible would happen to Kaocho, and it would happen soon. Perhaps he was simply being superstitious. Perhaps he was just on edge. But he still couldn't shake the feeling.

Thinking back to the conversation they'd had upon their previous foray here, he still found himself agreeing that a country that brought so much sorrow to others deserved some sort of sorrow themselves.

But did they deserve what his instinct was telling him was coming? He wasn't sure.


	10. Passaj Revisited

**A/N** It liiiives! Yeah. My apologies to anyone who reads this. Here's something cheery for you.

_Passaj_

He almost felt like laughing at the sight before him.

They had done it. They'd restarted the Alchemy Forge, and now the sad sleepy town of Passaj was no more. The place had become a fortress, indomitable, and the sight of such a transformation made him want to laugh at the improbability of it all.

He could barely get past the fact that he and his friends had done it. He, a stranger from a secluded home had saved a whole town…perhaps even a whole region of Angara. It was a little too much to take.

The townspeople were no longer bleary-eyed and hopeless—the sounds of children's laughter mixed with the ring of hammers on red-hot metal, and Matthew knew this was what Passaj was supposed to be.

His own dilemma wasn't completely solved, but after seeing such a miracle occur through the efforts of him and his friends, it didn't really seem important. He couldn't wait to get home and share this tale with his father and Uncle Garet…though somehow he doubted that they'd believe him at first. But that was all right, he was having trouble believing it himself.

They celebrated with the rest of Passaj that night, having decided to head off to Harapa in the morning. If all adventures turned out like this, Matthew wondered why people didn't have more of them.

He couldn't wait to see what else he could do.


End file.
